History WesternAnimation / OswaldTheLuckyRabbit

. * CanonDiscontinuity: Warren Spector, head of ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'', decided to ignore mentioning the shorts made by Lantz in the game. There's a possible explanation for this, [[WordOfGod Spector]] says that the original black and white versions of Disney characters (like Clarabelle Cow) are forgotten in Wasteland, their colored versions leaving them behind; it'd the same case for Oswald, whose original self faded into obscurity.

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. * CanonDiscontinuity: Warren Spector, head of ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'', decided to ignore mentioning the shorts made by Lantz in the game. There's a possible explanation for this, [[WordOfGod Spector]] says that the original black and white versions of Disney characters (like Clarabelle Cow) are forgotten in Wasteland, their colored versions leaving them behind; it'd the same case for Oswald, whose original self faded into obscurity.

For the third season of shorts, the character was brought in-house and handed over to Creator/WalterLantz, a former Winkler director who would now open a studio of his own, after he [[LostHimInACardGame won the rights to Oswald in a poker game]]. Over the next few years, Oswald became the headlining star of his studio and continued to star in moderately successful cartoons, at least prior to the mid-30's. Lantz, with the help of industry veteran Creator/BillNolan and young staffers like Creator/TexAvery (who would occasionally direct a few shorts in Nolan's steed), took the Oswald series into a more cartoony, fantasy driven direction than what Walt had done with him, distinguishing Oswald from being merely Disney's take on FelixTheCat. The animation became much more loose and organic than Disney's product due to Nolan's fast speed, a compensation for Lantz's low budgets on the series, and the tone of Lantz's shorts shifted to improvised, freewheeling musical-oriented fests, with plenty of off the wall animation to boot. Oddly, Oswald had no regular voice actor in the Lantz era (apart from a period of about a year-and-a-half early on, when Pinto Colvig regularly served as his voice), and studio staff would just take turns voicing him.

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For the third season of shorts, the character was brought in-house and handed over to Creator/WalterLantz, a former Winkler director who would now open a studio of his own, after he [[LostHimInACardGame won the rights to Oswald in a poker game]]. Over the next few years, Oswald became the headlining star of his studio and continued to star in moderately successful cartoons, at least prior to the mid-30's. Lantz, with the help of industry veteran Creator/BillNolan and young staffers like Creator/TexAvery (who would occasionally direct a few shorts in Nolan's steed), took the Oswald series into a more cartoony, fantasy driven direction than what Walt had done with him, distinguishing Oswald from being merely Disney's take on FelixTheCat.WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat. The animation became much more loose and organic than Disney's product due to Nolan's fast speed, a compensation for Lantz's low budgets on the series, and the tone of Lantz's shorts shifted to improvised, freewheeling musical-oriented fests, with plenty of off the wall animation to boot. Oddly, Oswald had no regular voice actor in the Lantz era (apart from a period of about a year-and-a-half early on, when Pinto Colvig regularly served as his voice), and studio staff would just take turns voicing him.

* AntiVillain: When MickeyMouse first arrives in [[CrapsackWorld the Cartoon Wasteland]], Oswald sets up obstacles in his path to prevent Mickey from [[FollowTheWhiteRabbit following him]]. And it's repeatedly hinted at after that that Oswald plans to steal [[MacGuffin Mickey's heart]] and use the Moonliner Rocket to escape the Wasteland. So, all in all, he's a Type II.* CanonDiscontinuity: Warren Spector, head of ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'', decided to ignore mentioning the shorts made by Lantz in the game. There's a possible explanation for this, [[WordOfGod Spector]] says that the original black and white versions of Disney characters (like Clarabelle Cow) are forgotten in Wasteland, their colored versions leaving them behind; it'd the same case for Oswald, whose original self faded into obscurity.

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* AntiVillain: Antihero: When MickeyMouse first arrives in [[CrapsackWorld the Cartoon Wasteland]], Oswald sets up obstacles in his path to prevent Mickey from [[FollowTheWhiteRabbit following him]]. And it's repeatedly hinted at after wants that that Oswald plans to steal [[MacGuffin Mickey's heart]] and use the Moonliner Rocket to escape the Wasteland. So, all in all, he's a Type II.mickey get out of wasteland.. * CanonDiscontinuity: Warren Spector, head of ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'', decided to ignore mentioning the shorts made by Lantz in the game. There's a possible explanation for this, [[WordOfGod Spector]] says that the original black and white versions of Disney characters (like Clarabelle Cow) are forgotten in Wasteland, their colored versions leaving them behind; it'd the same case for Oswald, whose original self faded into obscurity.

* TheatrePhantom: "Spooks" has a ghoulish Phantom. After cornering Oswald, he [[GainaxEnding asks "What sound does a chicken make when it lays a square egg?" (Cue Oswald saying "Ow!" From the Phantom slapping him) ",Correct!" And then he disappears.]]

Or at least, that was how it seemed -- until 2006, when things finally got better; In exchange for trading Al Michaels, a sportscaster, to NBC Universal[[note]]Al Michaels was traded to NBC's Sunday Night Football, as ABC lost the broadcast rights to MondayNightFootball (which moved to {{ESPN}}, replacing their version of Sunday Night Football in terms of prominence of games broadcast)[[/note]], Disney acquired all of the rights to Oswald and his shorts (excluding the post-Disney Universal cartoons), and in 2007, they reintroduced the world to the character via a two-disc DVD collection called '''Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'''. A handful of the Lantz Oswalds were also included on the two WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker DVD sets released around the same time.

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Or at least, that was how it seemed -- until 2006, when things finally got better; In exchange for trading Al Michaels, a sportscaster, to NBC Universal[[note]]Al Michaels was traded to NBC's Sunday Night Football, as ABC lost the broadcast rights to MondayNightFootball (which moved to {{ESPN}}, replacing their version of Sunday Night Football in terms of prominence of games broadcast)[[/note]], broadcast; also included in the deal were some rights to Olympics footage and Friday broadcasts of the Ryder Cup for ESPN)[[/note]], Disney acquired all of the rights to Oswald and his shorts (excluding the post-Disney Universal cartoons), and in 2007, they reintroduced the world to the character via a two-disc DVD collection called '''Walt Disney Treasures: The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit'''. A handful of the Lantz Oswalds were also included on the two WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker DVD sets released around the same time.

Still inspired by his viewings of Creator/CharlieChaplin films, Creator/WinsorMcCay's ''WesternAnimation/GertieTheDinosaur'', as well as Creator/OttoMessmer's ''WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat'', [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] ''[[VanBeurenStudios Aesop's Film Fables]]'' and [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Max Fleischer's]] ''WesternAnimation/OutOfTheInkwell'', Walt began striving for higher-quality animation and more dynamic use of rubber-hose animation, as well as much heavier emphasis on personality, story-based gags, and much more attention to story -- this made the series a huge advancement over Walt's earlier ''WesternAnimation/AliceComedies''. While the animation was not quite up to par with the competition, be it technically or drawing wise, Oswald was rife with inventive gags and animation, and benefited from crisp pacing and feel-good premises. Oswald himself, like his successor Mickey, was a likable, scrappy but otherwise rather [[TheEveryman nondescript character]]. Contributing to Oswald's success were animators that would later claim their own stakes in the future of the medium, including his right-hand man and top animator Ub Iwerks (who not only animated, but handled the overall key poses, timing and art direction) [[Creator/HarmanAndIsing Hugh Harman, Rudolph "Rudy" Ising, Norm Blackburn and Rollin "Ham" Hamilton]], Creator/FrizFreleng, [[DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]] among more esoteric names like Ben Clopton.

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Still inspired by his viewings of Creator/CharlieChaplin films, Creator/WinsorMcCay's ''WesternAnimation/GertieTheDinosaur'', as well as Creator/OttoMessmer's ''WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat'', [[TerryToons Paul Terry's]] ''[[VanBeurenStudios Aesop's Film Fables]]'' and [[Creator/MaxAndDaveFleischer Max Fleischer's]] ''WesternAnimation/OutOfTheInkwell'', Walt began striving for higher-quality animation and more dynamic use of rubber-hose animation, as well as much heavier emphasis on personality, story-based gags, and much more attention to story -- this made the series a huge advancement over Walt's earlier ''WesternAnimation/AliceComedies''. While the animation was not quite up to par with the competition, be it technically or drawing wise, Oswald was rife with inventive gags and animation, and benefited from crisp pacing and feel-good premises. Oswald himself, like his successor Mickey, was a likable, scrappy but otherwise rather [[TheEveryman nondescript character]]. Contributing to Oswald's success were animators that would later claim their own stakes in the future of the medium, including his right-hand man and top animator Ub Iwerks (who not only animated, but handled the overall key poses, timing and art direction) [[Creator/HarmanAndIsing Hugh Harman, Rudolph "Rudy" Ising, Norm Blackburn and Rollin "Ham" Hamilton]], Creator/FrizFreleng, [[DisneysNineOldMen [[Creator/DisneysNineOldMen Les Clark]] among more esoteric names like Ben Clopton.

'''Note''': Belonging to Universal from the start (with Walt being unaware of this until the [[JustForPun ink hit the fan]], so to speak), Oswald, by pure technicality, is '''not''' part of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts lineup and was technically not even a real Creator/{{Disney}} character until 2006, despite laying the groundwork for Walt and Ub's later work. It is argumentative if Oswald was really the first Disney animated hero because on one hand Disney and Iwerks did create the character, but on the other hand, Disney never had ownership of Oswald to begin with.

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'''Note''': Belonging to Universal from the start (with Walt being unaware of this until the [[JustForPun ink hit the fan]], so to speak), start, Oswald, by pure technicality, is '''not''' part of the WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts lineup and was technically not even a real Creator/{{Disney}} character until 2006, despite laying the groundwork for Walt and Ub's later work. It is argumentative if Oswald was really the first Disney animated hero because on one hand Disney and Iwerks did create the character, but on the other hand, Disney never had ownership of Oswald to begin with.

Meanwhile, back at Creator/{{Universal}}, Charles Mintz got a second season of cartoons made starring Oswald, but tensions between himself and the Universal executives were starting to boil over - specifically, after the overnight success of Mickey Mouse, the executives were more than a little upset that Mintz had let Disney walk away from the studio. After negotiations to bring Walt Disney back to the studio failed,[[note]] apparently learning nothing from the last time, Mintz's offer was basically to pay Disney a little more per short, but that Universal would completely own the rights to Mickey Mouse and Mintz would have control over Disney's studio; Walt very politely told Mintz to shove it[[/note]] as well as the second season of Oswald not nearly doing as well as the first, Universal [[LaserGuidedKarma reminded Mintz that]] ''he'' didn't own the rights to Oswald either, and Mintz was fired from the studio in 1929, prompting him to form [[ColumbiaCartoons his own cartoon studio for Columbia]]--and then proceed to rip off Mickey Mouse with his own ComicStrip/KrazyKat cartoons!

to:

Meanwhile, back at Creator/{{Universal}}, Charles Mintz got a second season of cartoons made starring Oswald, but tensions between himself and the Universal executives were starting to boil over - specifically, after the overnight success of Mickey Mouse, the executives were more than a little upset that Mintz had let Disney walk away from the studio. After negotiations to bring Walt Disney back to the studio failed,[[note]] apparently learning nothing from the last time, Mintz's offer was basically to pay Disney a little more per short, but that Universal would completely own the rights to Mickey Mouse and Mintz would have control over Disney's studio; Walt very politely told Mintz to shove it[[/note]] as well as the second season of Oswald not nearly doing as well as the first, Universal [[LaserGuidedKarma reminded Mintz that]] ''he'' didn't own the rights to Oswald either, and Mintz was fired from the studio in 1929, prompting him to form [[ColumbiaCartoons [[Creator/ColumbiaCartoons his own cartoon studio for Columbia]]--and then proceed to rip off Mickey Mouse with his own ComicStrip/KrazyKat cartoons!

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